Perforating device for index cards



PEREORATING DEVICE FOR INDEX CARDS' Filed Jan. 2o, 1945I Patented July 2, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT `OFFICE John W. Whitson, New Yrk, N. Y. Application January 20, 1945, Serial No. 573,721

This invention relates to improvement in perforating devices for index cards wherein slits are perforated near an edge of an index card for the purpose of attaching a selective card tab of the character illustrated in my Patent 2,260,069 issued October 21, 1941.

The benets of such selective card tabs have been limited because heretofore it has been practical to use these tabs only with new card iiling systems due to the lack of a portable perforating means for preparing the index cards of existing card filing systems for the reception of such card tabs. Business executives are reluctant to allow existing cards records to be removed from their oces so that the cards may be prepared in an outside plant on the present machinery used for this purpose, which is too bulky to be moved into an oiiice, especially when the preparation of a small amount of cards is involved.

One object of the invention is to provide a light, portable and economical means for perforating index cards to selective card tabs.

Another object is to provide a perfcrating device that can be operated without special skill and by the regular office personnel so that cards may be prepared during periods in which the cards are in active use.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation View.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View of a portion of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a selective card tab with its bottom card gripping member extending through a perforation in a card and before being flattened into card gripping position. The tab illustrated is that of Patent 2,260,069.

Referring to the drawing, I is a base, having a table 2 held thereto by screws 3, a strip of perforating rule l! is held clamped in vertical position against a back member of the base I by the table member 2. This clamping action holds strips 5, which are made of rubber or a similar elastic 2 Claims. (Cl. 164-90) material, on either side of the perforatlng rule 4. Stop pins 6 are tted into holes in the base I so that the distance from the center of the perforating rule to the face of the pins 6 is equal to the distance-D shown in Fig. 5.

A movable top member lI, having a handle 8, is fastened to the base I by the hinge 9 which may have a spring and stop to normally hold the member I in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. Held in a groove in member I is a pressure member I0 which is made of rubber or other suitable material.

A card stop I I is fastened along the left side of the base I.

Operation A card I2 (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3) is placed face up on the table 2 its left hand edge being held against the stop II and its back edge (in this case the top edge of the card) is held against both of the pins 6. The underside of the card will rest on the tops of the strips 5 which are slightly above the tops of the perforating members, or teeth, I3 of the rule 4.

With the card in the position described a downward pressure is placed on the handle 8 so as to bring the under face of the strip I0 into contact with the face of the card and to cause the teeth I3 of the rule 'll to pass through the card and slightly enter the strip I0. The rubber strips E will become compressed around the teeth I3 so that when pressure is removed from the handle 8 the return of the strips 5 to their normal shape will cause the card to be stripped from contact with the teeth I3 and be free for removal from the device in preparation for the perforation of another card.

The result of the foregoing operation is that a series of slits Ill will be formed adjacent the upper edge of the card as illustrated in Fig. 5.

A selective card tab Itis illustrated with a member I'I projecting through a slit I4. The members Il' and I8 are to be flattened against the surface of the card to hold the tab in place so that a selector rod may be passed through the hole I9 for the purpose of card selection.

When it is desired to limit the distance that the teeth I3 are to enter the card then the strip I0 may be increased in Width so as to extend over the strips 5 and bear against the table 2 when pressure is placed on the handle 8. y

The distance the cutting edges of the teeth I3 are above the table 2 will determine the depth to which the teeth will enter into the card and also into the strip I0.

A feature of the present invention is that an elastic pressure bed (strip l0) is provided for the perforating teeth to cut against, this means that it is not necessary to maintain an exact parallel alignment between the cutting edges of the periorating teeth and the pressure bed as is the case with predecessor devices which have rigid pressure beds.

Another feature is that the strips 5, when under pressure, hold the card flat so that the entry of the perforating teeth into the card will not cause a stretching and buckling of the card as would be the case ii the card were not thus held.

Another feature is that by stripping the cards from the periorating teeth with the strips 5 provision is made against the cards becoming distorted as is the case when cards'are stripped by hand.

Having now described and illustrated one form ci my invention, I Wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specic form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown, or specifically covered by my claims.

Having thus described this invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a periorator for preparing an index card 4 for the reception of selective card tabs, the combination of card perforating members, pressure means, arranged to contact with the perforating members, for forcing the perforating members into a card, elastic pressure means in association with said pressure means, resilient stripping means for stripping a card from the said members, which stripping means is compressed against the said perforating members by the said pressure means, a base in which the periorating members and stripping means are supported, and a ciamping block mountable in said base for clamping said members and stripping means in the base.

2. In a perforator for preparing an index card for theY reception of selective card tabs, the com- 4bination of card perforating members, elastic rubber pressure means for forcing the perforatingmembers into a card, by contact therewith, elastic stripping means made of rubber for stripping a card from said perforating members, a base in which the perforating members and stripping means are supported, and a clamping block mountable in said base for clamping said members and stripping means in the base.

JOI-IN W. WHITSON. 

